Les Cockrell: Student wins top spot at state-level contest

Peyton Luke of Valley View is congratulated on her victory at the state level of the American Legion oratorical competition on the Constitution by American Legion Department of Texas Cmdr. Daniel A. Corbin of Killeen.

Peyton Luke, a home-school student from
Valley View, took top honors at the state level of the oratorical competition
on the Constitution sponsored by the American Legion, according to an
announcement from Denton’s American Legion Post 71.

Luke received a scholarship valued at
$2,000 and the right to compete at the national level of the competition, to be
held April 19-21 in Indianapolis.

The state competition was held Feb. 17
on the campus of Blinn College in Brenham.

There will be 54 contestants competing
at the national level, and the first-place winner will receive a scholarship
valued at $18,000.

The oratorical competition is open to
all high school students, with competition beginning in January in each
district. Materials will be available from high school principals at the
beginning of school in August 2013 or by calling 940-727-8067.

Volunteers
sought for Great American Cleanup

Anyone who wants to volunteer to help
Keep Denton Beautiful with the Great American Cleanup event is asked to
register before Friday.

Registration information is available at
the organization’s website at www.kdb.org, on the KDB Facebook page or by
calling 940-349-8738.

This year’s cleanup is set to begin at 8
a.m. Saturday, March 2, and volunteers will be assigned to help clean up
locations citywide.

After the cleanup, participants are
invited to a volunteer party from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Denton Civic Center,
321 E. McKinney St.

The party will feature live music,
family-friendly environmental activities and a free lunch.

Registration on the day of the event
will be at the Denton Civic Center beginning at 8 a.m., but volunteers are
encouraged to register in advance. Sections of roadway will be assigned or
volunteers can select a site to clean.

Those who register in advance can pick
up trash bags and other supplies at the KDB office on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In conjunction with the cleanup event,
the city of Denton Solid Waste and Recycling Department will sponsor a free
disposal day for Denton residents at the landfill, 1527 Mayhill Road, from 7
a.m. to noon. Proof of residency is required, and no commercial or hazardous
waste will be accepted.

Denton’s St. James A.M.E. Church, 1107
E. Oak St., will celebrate African-American History Month with activities
including a health and wellness fair Saturday and a gospel concert Sunday.

Saturday’s activities will be from 11
a.m. to 3 p.m.

The health and wellness fair will
feature medical and vision screenings, a healthy cooking demonstration,
information about CPR and first aid and other health information.

Other activities planned for Saturday
include historical programs, skits, poster displays and an inventor’s exhibit.

Gretel L’Heureux of the Denton County
Office of History and Culture will present “Historic African American Families
of Denton County: The Quakertown Story” from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m.

Chelsea Stallings, museum assistant for
the county office, will give a presentation of oral history interviews from
Quakertown descendants.

Sunday’s concert is planned from 3 to 5
p.m. and will feature church choirs, soloists and singing groups. A musical
skit, readings and poetry are also planned.

All events are open to the community.
For more information, call 940-220-9054 or 940-387-1223.

Registration
open for Power of a Healthy Woman event

The annual Power of a Healthy Woman
event will take place Saturday, March 2, in Hubbard Hall on the Texas Woman’s
University campus.

The event, designed to increase
knowledge of health risks among women and to raise awareness about disease
prevention and promoting good health, will begin at 8 a.m.

Early registration is available at
www.twu.edu/healthywoman for $35 or $20 for TWU students. Deadline for early
registration is Wednesday, Feb. 27.

Keynote speaker for the event will be
Linda Noble-Topf, national advocate for disability rights, who will speak on
“The Spiritual Power of a Healthy Woman.”

Learning
area trail guides offer night hike

Trail guides from the Lewisville Lake
Environmental Learning Area will lead a night hike Saturday.

Participants will hike through a wooded
area and across sections of prairie and listen for sounds of nocturnal
creatures.

Registration is required by calling
972-219-3930 or e-mailing lisacole@unt.edu
.

There is a $2 program fee for the night
hike, in addition to the regular LLELA gate fee of $5 per person.

LLELA’s entrance is at 201 E. Jones St.,
at the intersection of Jones and Kealy streets, in Lewisville.

Program
on herbs, native plant landscaping set

Gayle Southerland will present a program
titled “Herbs and Native Plant Landscaping” to members of the Trinity Forks
Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas on Thursday, Feb. 28.

The chapter meets in the new science
building on the southern edge of the main campus of Texas Woman’s University.

Refreshments will be served in the foyer
at 6:30 p.m., and the program will begin at 7 p.m. in the large
auditorium/classroom on the second floor.

Southerland was instrumental in starting
the first Herb Society Unit in North Texas in 1986 and has been in several
leadership positions in the Heritage Herb Club of Plano, regional and national
herb organizations,.

LES
COCKRELL is interested in your input for Out & About. Help share
information about Denton County events and people by calling him at
940-566-6887. His e-mail address is lcockrell@dentonrc.com.

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